Calls to shelter about dog left in a backyard lead rescuers to ‘heartbreaking’ scene
A dog in Philadelphia is safe and in the process of a long healing journey after he was rescued from a backyard.
Toot, a terrier-pit bull mix, was rescued by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) after getting a tip about a suffering dog in someone’s backyard, the shelter said in a March 14 Facebook post.
“Toot has endured more suffering than any living being should ever have to,” the shelter said in a post that includes photos of the dog’s body.
“When our Animal Law Enforcement team received a tip about an underweight dog living in a backyard, they acted quickly. What they found upon arrival was nothing short of heartbreaking.
“In that yard sat Toot, his eyes pleading for help. Every bone in his frail body was visible beneath his dirty coat, a clear sign that he had been suffering for far too long. On the Tufts Animal Care and Condition scale, he scored a 5/5—the lowest score a living animal can receive.”
According to the scale, Toot was emaciated and had “no discernible body fat” along with “obvious loss of muscle mass” and needed urgent care.
“Toot was rushed immediately to our shelter hospital, where our dedicated medical team began a carefully monitored refeeding plan to help him regain the weight he so desperately needed,” the shelter said. “While his journey is still long, he grows a little stronger with each passing day, and soon, he’ll be ready to find the forever home he truly deserves.”
For more updates on Toot, visit the shelter’s Facebook page.